


Bright Young Man

by Jay_Lee_Leuis



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:25:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_Lee_Leuis/pseuds/Jay_Lee_Leuis
Summary: A young Garak goes out of his way to eavesdrop.





	Bright Young Man

**Author's Note:**

> Another quick prompt fill from twitter, for "How much of that did you hear" with Garak. Changed the line up a little bit again, but here it is!

Enabran was in a meeting. He always was. Garak knew that, he understood, but he was bored. He had Mila to play with, but Mila was _boring_. Mila’s games were fine, for a six-year-old, but now Garak was nearly eight. He didn’t want to play with the toy ships anymore. Toy ships didn’t do anything, they didn’t made important decisions or keep important secrets. Not like Enabran’s works. His _contacts_. Garak wanted to have contacts too, he would show Enabran one day, he could find out secrets too. He could find out secrets better than most people -- no one watched what they said around a cute almost-eight-year-old boy, even if he was-- but no, better not even to think that. That was a big secret, a dangerous secret, and Enabran had been furious when Garak had found out. Garak had spent almost the whole day locked in his closet for that. But it was okay, he was older now and he knew Enabran had to be careful with his secrets. And Garak had to understand how important it was. Enabran’s enemies would do worse than lock him in a closet, if they knew.

So if Garak knew one thing, it was how to be careful. He had disabled all the silent alarms leading up to Enabran’s office, and carefully hidden out of sight of the secret cameras. Normally it would never work, there would be too many staff minding the estate, too many guards hidden out of sight, but this was an important meeting, and Enabran had sent the regular staff away. He would be monitoring for all sorts of remote listening devices, anything with even a trace of an energy field would be automatically detonated. But there was little anyone could do to stop a determined almost-eight-year-old from standing behind Enabran’s secret door with his ear pressed up against the crack.

It was good news. The contact was talking about Gul Sulrat, who was fucking Gul Remad’s wife. Everyone knew that -- everyone who knew anything, that was -- but the contact had proof now. And better yet, proof that wouldn’t compromise their position. Garak grinned, trying to guess what Enabran would do. Maybe, when the time was right, Sulrat would owe them a favor, or Remad could be persuaded to break ties with his faction. It would be the first one, Garak bet. Enabran always said threats were more reliable than gratitude. 

The meeting was over, the contact sent away, and before Garak had time to make his retreat the secret door slid open.

“Well, come in,” Enabran said. “It’s rude to stand in the hallway, you know.”

Garak stepped inside without hesitation. He was caught, there was nothing to be done, and Enabran had told him once that false confidence was a spy’s best weapon. Besides, Enabran wasn’t angry. Garak could tell when he was angry by the way his eyes went hard and cold, but the meeting had gone well, and the way Enabran’s eyes crinkled at the corners almost made it seem like he was smiling.

“I won’t ask how much of that you heard,” Enabran said, “by my guess you’ve been camped outside my office for the whole morning.”

Garak barely kept himself from scuffing the plush carpet with his foot in frustration. That would be unprofessional. “I thought I got the alarms and cameras turned off.”

“You did get several of them,” Enabran said, with an odd note in voice Garak couldn’t quite identify. “But I would hardly be very good at my job if a seven-year-old boy could disable my entire security system, now would I?”

“I’m almost eight!” Garak burst out, and then stopped himself. Enabran would never take him seriously if he was acting like a child.

Enabran actually laughed. “Well then, almost-eight-Garak, what should I do with that little bit of information I’ve just received?”

Garak’s mind raced. They were already several spies in Remad’s faction that he knew of, one more wouldn’t be worth much, and they were harmless for now anyway. But everyone knew Gul Sulrat had ambitions, and a Legate - that might be useful. “I think Gul Sulrat should get that promotion he’s been wanting,” Garak said. “And a reminder that it would be better for him if no one else knew what we do.”

“Not bad.” Enabran nodded thoughtfully. “You’re a bright young man.”

“Listening is more important than overhearing,” Garak said. He had thought of that one weeks ago, and in his head it had sounded like one of Enabran’s sayings, but out loud it just sounded stupid.

Enabran didn’t say it sounded stupid; he just smiled and said “It certainly is.” 

He walked over to his desk and pressed a few hidden buttons. “Now, I’ve re-armed my security system. Will getting back out through that keep you entertained and out of my hair for the rest of the afternoon?”

Garak deflated. He’d wanted to stay here, he could help if Enabran would just let him. But it was better than being marched back out to Mila, or worse, thrown in his closet. “I guess,” he said.

“Run along then,” Enabran said. “And leave Gul Sulrat to me. Maybe he _is_ due a promotion.”

Garak almost turned to go, but then he stopped. There was something he wanted to say, and it wasn’t the right time, but he hardly ever got to see Enabran anyway, so now would have to do. “You always say you can’t have any weaknesses, and I know you can’t,” Garak said, heart suddenly pounding. “But I don’t have to be one. I can help, and maybe. . . maybe you can teach me sometime?”

Garak stared at the floor, not daring to look up. But there it was, he’d said it, and Enabran could do what he wanted with it. He felt Enabran take a few steps closer, and flinched when Enabran’s hand landed heavy on his shoulder. 

“Maybe one day,” Enabran said. Garak looked up at him, hardly believing it. There was that same almost smile crinkling at Enabran’s eyes. “For right now, I have work to do, and I believe you have a security system to disarm.”

Garak nodded. “I’ll try and get more of the cameras this time!” He would do even better than he had coming, and Enabran would have to teach him. Sooner or later, he would. Garak couldn’t wait.


End file.
